Nslookup command explained
The Nslookup command is a helpful and very useful tool with a command-line interface (CLI). The abbreviation “nslookup” is short for “name server look up”. Typically, it is utilized for finding the IP address of a particular host or performing a Reverse DNS Lookup which is a process of finding a domain name that is associated with an IP address (IPv4 or IPv6). In most cases, it is pre-built on almost every operating system (OS). That is why it is a very popular choice for administrators.
How to use it?
When you want to try the Nslookup command, you should open the particular software with a command-line interface on your device. So, for example, if you are a Windows user, you should open the Command Prompt. On the other hand, in case you are a macOS user or a Linux user, then you should simply open the Terminal app.
We are going to describe several Nslookup commands, which you can easily initiate by simply typing them in your Command Prompt or Terminal and pressing the “Enter” button on your device.
In order to make them useful for your needs, you should replace the IP address or the domain name in the commands. This is because they are only for illustration.
The good news is that the Nslookup command operates successfully in the same way on the different operating systems. Therefore, these next examples are going to work without the necessity for changes.
Examples of Nslookup command
Find the IP address
nslookup example.com
That is the Nslookup command without any additional options. It is going to show you the IP address (IPv4 or IPv6) for the domain name. So the answer is short, containing only the demanded IP address. You won’t see details related to the A or AAAA record, such as TTL (Time-to-live) values.
All available DNS records
nslookup -type=any example.com
A great option of the Nslookup command which gives information for all of the available DNS records of the domain you are probing. For instance, A, AAAA, MX, NS, SOA, and TXT. There is a chance the query to need a longer time to be resolved. Yet, the answer is going to provide you with information about the entire collection of DNS records. That is great when you want to make a little bit more specific further queries. For that purpose, you only have to replace “any” with the precise type of DNS record.
Reverse DNS lookup
Nslookup 122.117.14.112
With the Reverse DNS lookup, you are able to see which is the associated host for a precise IP address. Also, it works both with IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
Adjust the timeout
nslookup -timeout=30 example.com
This option of the Nslookup command allows you to specify the interval for waiting for an answer. You are able to adjust it, depending on your needs.
Define a port number
nslookup -port=43 example.com
With this option, you could specify the port number of a precise query. Moreover, you are able to check if the desired port functions at all.